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Harvey Girls #1
The Doctor's Wife
People like Ellie Parrish did not get proposals of marriage from someone like Dr. Caleb Chaney. Even if his offer was the answer to her prayers, a man as decent and kind as Caleb didn't deserve a woman whose past was a lie.
Caleb Chaney could see that Ellie Parrish was a woman with a troubled soul. But he could also see a woman with a heart big enough to love his infant son as though she were his mother and big enough to teach Caleb himself how to love again.
Caleb Chaney could see that Ellie Parrish was a woman with a troubled soul. But he could also see a woman with a heart big enough to love his infant son as though she were his mother and big enough to teach Caleb himself how to love again.
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
6 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl St. John
71 books552 followersCheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 16, 2020
A nice, sweet, heartwarming story about two people who need and find each other. But it did not grip me overly much and I left it many a time to finally finish it over months.
The doctor H is a widower with an infant, and the h's a quiet, subdued girl from the wrong side of the track who, despite past traumas and horrors, is committed to making a good life for her two younger brothers.
The mcs are good, decent people fighting their own demons - the h more so than the H. The H is a sweet beta who gives her lots of time and space, and does not judge. He was just what she needed after her sufferings.
The doctor H is a widower with an infant, and the h's a quiet, subdued girl from the wrong side of the track who, despite past traumas and horrors, is committed to making a good life for her two younger brothers.
The mcs are good, decent people fighting their own demons - the h more so than the H. The H is a sweet beta who gives her lots of time and space, and does not judge. He was just what she needed after her sufferings.
September 30, 2017
What I hated about the book: The hero!!!!!
He was TOO F***ING nice!
If he was a virgin/celibate we could've given him monkhood or sainthood!
Safety:
He was TOO F***ING nice!
If he was a virgin/celibate we could've given him monkhood or sainthood!
Safety:
December 2, 2022
*Edit review.*
I've noticed that Cheryl St. Johns male characters are always perfect. Too perfect. I mean, it's nice in a sense to have these horribly treated females taken care of, but it's a bit too fairytale for me.
This was much darker than that cheesy ass cover leads you to believe. The last half dragged a bit though.
I've noticed that Cheryl St. Johns male characters are always perfect. Too perfect. I mean, it's nice in a sense to have these horribly treated females taken care of, but it's a bit too fairytale for me.
This was much darker than that cheesy ass cover leads you to believe. The last half dragged a bit though.
Read
July 5, 2018In Florence, Kansas a girl left her new born baby on the back steps with a family that had recently lost their own child. Six year later this woman lived in nearby Newton, Kansas. She was working as a waitress in a hotel and living in a dormitory. She went to back to Florence when she could to visit her 8 and 15 year old brothers. They had been separated when authorities found them living alone in filth. They boys were put in a home to work while the girl who called herself Ellie Parrish was old enough to find work on her own. She was saving everything she was able to in order to buy a place to live for herself and her brothers.
She was coming home from one of her visits realizing that they were growing up very fast without her. She tripped over a dog as a man approached her on the train platform and broke her arm. One of the people who saw her fall took her to the doctor in town. He took her to the new, younger doctor, Caleb Chaney.
Ellie went to pay the doctor and pay for her visit. Caleb had to leave quickly when a man arrived telling Caleb about a fire. The home burned out belonged to a woman who had lost her husband and more recently her baby had been stillborn. Caleb brought badly injured Joanna Bowman back to his office where she lived for three days. She had inhaled too much smoke to survive.
Ellie had come by after she had heard that Joanna was at the doctor's off to see if the doctor might know of anyone who might be able to pay her for work. Caleb told her that he needed someone to watch his three month old son, Nate, while he worked. His wife had died in childbirth. Ellie didn't want to be around any baby because it reminded her of the child she had given up but she needed the job and accepted the position. She stayed at Caleb's with Nate for the three days until Joanna passed away. Dr. Chaney then got her a room for her at the boardinghouse nearby. Ellie watched Nate during the day and cooked dinner for him each night before she left. Caleb's parents came by one afternoon and invited them over for Sunday dinner and Caleb accepted for the two of them. Ellie read through his books to learn how to behave. She had never eaten dinner with a family before. She followed the books suggestion on copying what other people did. She was nervous but seemed to carry it off. She met Caleb's 5 yr old niece, Lucy, and it made her think of the child she gave up who would now be 6 or 7 by now.
Caleb had become curious about Ellie. He didn't know her background but knew that she was trying to act like she comfortable. She had an innocence about her that made her as excited as Lucy was when she experienced something that he determined was new to her. He watched Ellie with Nate and made a decision to ask her to marry him so Nate would have a mother. He trusted that she would be good to him.
Caleb didn't realize how scared Ellie was of men. All Ellie knew of men was pain. Caleb never asked about her past and didn't know that she and her brothers had different fathers because her mother had been a whore. There was a sister but she had gotten sick and died while still very young. Ellie was not ready to allow any man to get close to her. Ellie thought about Caleb's proposal and agreed to marry him if he allowed her brothers to live with them and that they would sleep in separate bedrooms. Caleb agreed to her terms and they were married the following Saturday. They would go pick up her brothers and sign any necessary papers.
They want to pick up the boys at the Heath's place. Caleb noticed immediately that the boys had been beaten and mistreated. He was as calm as he could manage and took the boys home and treated their injuries. He was satisfied after a few days that he would be able to save Ben's toes from the infection he had discovered. He told Ben to stay off his feet as much as possible for the next few days.
Ellie and Caleb were married that afternoon and Caleb was surprised to have to explain to Ellie about having a reception. He told her it was common to celebrate a wedding. Things seemed to be going okay until the father of Caleb's previous wife showed up. He made accusations about Caleb letting his daughter die and warning Ellie to not get sick or pregnant. Ellie recognized him and he soon recognized her. He was the man who had raped Ellie and gotten her pregnant. Ellie left the party to find a place to throw up. She locked herself in her room until Caleb came and told her that Winston Parker had left and others were beginning to leave too.
Ellie went to bed alone that night and had a nightmare. Caleb went to check on her and she didn't realize that she was hitting him and apologized once she was awake. Caleb was surprised when Ben then attacked him. He had to fight Ben off and try to get him to calm down. He held Ben down as Ellie told him that Caleb wasn't hurting her. She said something to Ben about him knowing that she had dreams like that before. Caleb realized that there was more damage done to this family than what the boys had endured by the Heath's. Caleb questioned Ellie about the abuse coming from their father and she agreed. Ellie told Ben about the questions and what she had said. Ben told her that he would talk to Flynn about the story they were trying to pass off about their past.
In the morning, Caleb decided to avoid talking about what had happened and took them all fishing. Caleb was surprised when Flynn's commented about not having a father. They were then interrupted by one of the men from town coming to tell him that his neighbor was having difficulty delivering her baby and wanted him.
A boy that had taken them to the woman's house mentioned that his mother was sick and Ellie suggested to him that he go check on her. It turned out that his mother had scarlet fever and many of the townspeople ended up with the disease. Nate and Flynn also got sick. Ellie helped take care of the other people in town until the boys got sick. She took care of them until she got sick. It was while taking care of her that Caleb noticed the skin on her stomach and realized that she had been pregnant previously. He was surprised to realize that this made him angry. He realized that he had fallen in love with her and didn't want to think of someone else making love to Ellie. He didn't know how to bring up the subject with her either. He realized that he didn't know much about the woman he had married. He didn't regret what he had done though.
Ellie had a conversation with Caleb's mother at their wedding reception and didn't understand all of it. She had mentioned that sleeping with a man could be pleasant. Ellie woke up thinking that Caleb was a man who cared for others and maybe he would be gentle with her. She felt like maybe she needed let him have his way with her so she wouldn't lose him. She tried to find a way to get him to know that she was ready to sleep with him. It took weeks for the opportunity to come up. She told Caleb that she had changed her mind about sleeping with him and took him to her bedroom. They undressed and kissed. Ellie couldn't get passed her fear of sex and pushed him away. Caleb thought again that she had loved someone too much in her past to allow him into her life and blamed himself for pushing her into a relationship too quickly. They talked and he felt bad to discover that Ellie was willing to sleep with him because she felt she owed him for all he had done for her and her brothers.
Life went on and things remained as they were. Their relationship was strained but neither one knew what to do to fix things. School started and she was in town shopping one day when she ran into Winston Parker again. He told her that he would contact her when he wanted her again using the threat of telling her husband her real name and about her mother being a whore. Ellie was frightened. She knew she had to tell Caleb but was afraid. She also knew she could never let Winston do to her what he had done before. She went home and cried.
It was a short time later when she received a note telling her to meet Winston. Caleb was away seeing a patient. He was leaving the house when he was hit from behind and knocked out. Ellie knew she couldn't meet Winston and remained at home. She heard someone in the house and went to check it out. She found her brother, Ben, tied up and a gun held to his head by Winston. He told her that he would shoot Ben if she didn't go to his carriage with him. She agreed to go after Winston hit Ben. Ben screamed at her to not go but she knew she was going to fight him. She wasn't going into his carriage again. She fought him and Ben had managed to get free and attacked Winston too. Winston's gun went off and he was killed. Caleb arrived to find the body. Ben became a hero for fighting him and keeping Ellie safe. Ben then told Caleb about Ellie's rape.
Ellie was stunned and thought she had lost Caleb. Caleb arranged for the body to be removed and went to see the sheriff. He went back home and asked Ellie to tell him what Winston had done to her in the past. She told Caleb how her mother had sold her virginity to Winston and about the rape. She had ended up pregnant and had left the baby at the home of the Masterson's in Florence where she had lived. They had just lost their child and she felt like they could give her daughter all the things that Ellie couldn't. Ellie's real last name was Foster.
Ben went to see the sheriff the next morning and Ellie went in the afternoon. Ben wouldn't be charged with killing Winston. It was determined to be self defense. The sheriff told them that four other women had made acquisitions against Winston but it was their word against his and he was a prominent man in the community as a banker. They now had proof that the women were right although Parker was dead.
Ben and Ellie talked and they both decided that God would want them both to forgive themselves for things that had happened that they had no control over. Ellie and Caleb worked their way through their problems with having sex and Ellie was now thinking that maybe she might like to have another child with Caleb. Caleb decided to surprise Ellie and took her to see the daughter she had given up.
The Masterson's were somewhat worried that Ellie might want to claim their daughter and take her way. Ellie assured them that she would never do that. She met the girl that they had named Mary Michael and was invited back to see her whenever she liked.
She was coming home from one of her visits realizing that they were growing up very fast without her. She tripped over a dog as a man approached her on the train platform and broke her arm. One of the people who saw her fall took her to the doctor in town. He took her to the new, younger doctor, Caleb Chaney.
Ellie went to pay the doctor and pay for her visit. Caleb had to leave quickly when a man arrived telling Caleb about a fire. The home burned out belonged to a woman who had lost her husband and more recently her baby had been stillborn. Caleb brought badly injured Joanna Bowman back to his office where she lived for three days. She had inhaled too much smoke to survive.
Ellie had come by after she had heard that Joanna was at the doctor's off to see if the doctor might know of anyone who might be able to pay her for work. Caleb told her that he needed someone to watch his three month old son, Nate, while he worked. His wife had died in childbirth. Ellie didn't want to be around any baby because it reminded her of the child she had given up but she needed the job and accepted the position. She stayed at Caleb's with Nate for the three days until Joanna passed away. Dr. Chaney then got her a room for her at the boardinghouse nearby. Ellie watched Nate during the day and cooked dinner for him each night before she left. Caleb's parents came by one afternoon and invited them over for Sunday dinner and Caleb accepted for the two of them. Ellie read through his books to learn how to behave. She had never eaten dinner with a family before. She followed the books suggestion on copying what other people did. She was nervous but seemed to carry it off. She met Caleb's 5 yr old niece, Lucy, and it made her think of the child she gave up who would now be 6 or 7 by now.
Caleb had become curious about Ellie. He didn't know her background but knew that she was trying to act like she comfortable. She had an innocence about her that made her as excited as Lucy was when she experienced something that he determined was new to her. He watched Ellie with Nate and made a decision to ask her to marry him so Nate would have a mother. He trusted that she would be good to him.
Caleb didn't realize how scared Ellie was of men. All Ellie knew of men was pain. Caleb never asked about her past and didn't know that she and her brothers had different fathers because her mother had been a whore. There was a sister but she had gotten sick and died while still very young. Ellie was not ready to allow any man to get close to her. Ellie thought about Caleb's proposal and agreed to marry him if he allowed her brothers to live with them and that they would sleep in separate bedrooms. Caleb agreed to her terms and they were married the following Saturday. They would go pick up her brothers and sign any necessary papers.
They want to pick up the boys at the Heath's place. Caleb noticed immediately that the boys had been beaten and mistreated. He was as calm as he could manage and took the boys home and treated their injuries. He was satisfied after a few days that he would be able to save Ben's toes from the infection he had discovered. He told Ben to stay off his feet as much as possible for the next few days.
Ellie and Caleb were married that afternoon and Caleb was surprised to have to explain to Ellie about having a reception. He told her it was common to celebrate a wedding. Things seemed to be going okay until the father of Caleb's previous wife showed up. He made accusations about Caleb letting his daughter die and warning Ellie to not get sick or pregnant. Ellie recognized him and he soon recognized her. He was the man who had raped Ellie and gotten her pregnant. Ellie left the party to find a place to throw up. She locked herself in her room until Caleb came and told her that Winston Parker had left and others were beginning to leave too.
Ellie went to bed alone that night and had a nightmare. Caleb went to check on her and she didn't realize that she was hitting him and apologized once she was awake. Caleb was surprised when Ben then attacked him. He had to fight Ben off and try to get him to calm down. He held Ben down as Ellie told him that Caleb wasn't hurting her. She said something to Ben about him knowing that she had dreams like that before. Caleb realized that there was more damage done to this family than what the boys had endured by the Heath's. Caleb questioned Ellie about the abuse coming from their father and she agreed. Ellie told Ben about the questions and what she had said. Ben told her that he would talk to Flynn about the story they were trying to pass off about their past.
In the morning, Caleb decided to avoid talking about what had happened and took them all fishing. Caleb was surprised when Flynn's commented about not having a father. They were then interrupted by one of the men from town coming to tell him that his neighbor was having difficulty delivering her baby and wanted him.
A boy that had taken them to the woman's house mentioned that his mother was sick and Ellie suggested to him that he go check on her. It turned out that his mother had scarlet fever and many of the townspeople ended up with the disease. Nate and Flynn also got sick. Ellie helped take care of the other people in town until the boys got sick. She took care of them until she got sick. It was while taking care of her that Caleb noticed the skin on her stomach and realized that she had been pregnant previously. He was surprised to realize that this made him angry. He realized that he had fallen in love with her and didn't want to think of someone else making love to Ellie. He didn't know how to bring up the subject with her either. He realized that he didn't know much about the woman he had married. He didn't regret what he had done though.
Ellie had a conversation with Caleb's mother at their wedding reception and didn't understand all of it. She had mentioned that sleeping with a man could be pleasant. Ellie woke up thinking that Caleb was a man who cared for others and maybe he would be gentle with her. She felt like maybe she needed let him have his way with her so she wouldn't lose him. She tried to find a way to get him to know that she was ready to sleep with him. It took weeks for the opportunity to come up. She told Caleb that she had changed her mind about sleeping with him and took him to her bedroom. They undressed and kissed. Ellie couldn't get passed her fear of sex and pushed him away. Caleb thought again that she had loved someone too much in her past to allow him into her life and blamed himself for pushing her into a relationship too quickly. They talked and he felt bad to discover that Ellie was willing to sleep with him because she felt she owed him for all he had done for her and her brothers.
Life went on and things remained as they were. Their relationship was strained but neither one knew what to do to fix things. School started and she was in town shopping one day when she ran into Winston Parker again. He told her that he would contact her when he wanted her again using the threat of telling her husband her real name and about her mother being a whore. Ellie was frightened. She knew she had to tell Caleb but was afraid. She also knew she could never let Winston do to her what he had done before. She went home and cried.
It was a short time later when she received a note telling her to meet Winston. Caleb was away seeing a patient. He was leaving the house when he was hit from behind and knocked out. Ellie knew she couldn't meet Winston and remained at home. She heard someone in the house and went to check it out. She found her brother, Ben, tied up and a gun held to his head by Winston. He told her that he would shoot Ben if she didn't go to his carriage with him. She agreed to go after Winston hit Ben. Ben screamed at her to not go but she knew she was going to fight him. She wasn't going into his carriage again. She fought him and Ben had managed to get free and attacked Winston too. Winston's gun went off and he was killed. Caleb arrived to find the body. Ben became a hero for fighting him and keeping Ellie safe. Ben then told Caleb about Ellie's rape.
Ellie was stunned and thought she had lost Caleb. Caleb arranged for the body to be removed and went to see the sheriff. He went back home and asked Ellie to tell him what Winston had done to her in the past. She told Caleb how her mother had sold her virginity to Winston and about the rape. She had ended up pregnant and had left the baby at the home of the Masterson's in Florence where she had lived. They had just lost their child and she felt like they could give her daughter all the things that Ellie couldn't. Ellie's real last name was Foster.
Ben went to see the sheriff the next morning and Ellie went in the afternoon. Ben wouldn't be charged with killing Winston. It was determined to be self defense. The sheriff told them that four other women had made acquisitions against Winston but it was their word against his and he was a prominent man in the community as a banker. They now had proof that the women were right although Parker was dead.
Ben and Ellie talked and they both decided that God would want them both to forgive themselves for things that had happened that they had no control over. Ellie and Caleb worked their way through their problems with having sex and Ellie was now thinking that maybe she might like to have another child with Caleb. Caleb decided to surprise Ellie and took her to see the daughter she had given up.
The Masterson's were somewhat worried that Ellie might want to claim their daughter and take her way. Ellie assured them that she would never do that. She met the girl that they had named Mary Michael and was invited back to see her whenever she liked.
July 12, 2008
This book made my teeth hurt. That sweet. I say that advisedly, as this is a genre that has plenty of opportunities for the equivalent of dumping the entire bowl of sugar on your Rice Krispies.
What got me the most was how unbelievably good the hero was. His parents are opposed to him being a doctor instead of taking over the family ranch. A woman is burned horribly in a fire, and he can't safe her life. He is very upset about it, but hardly shows it. They have an excellent relationship. He's accused of killing his first wife through neglect. He keeps his temper. The woman he marries out of pity and convenience breaks down during foreplay, and then he yells. What? He yells then?
His main conflict is that he can't save the world. Noble, self-effacing, just too good to be true. That's his character flaw: He's too good. I hate him.
What got me the most was how unbelievably good the hero was. His parents are opposed to him being a doctor instead of taking over the family ranch. A woman is burned horribly in a fire, and he can't safe her life. He is very upset about it, but hardly shows it. They have an excellent relationship. He's accused of killing his first wife through neglect. He keeps his temper. The woman he marries out of pity and convenience breaks down during foreplay, and then he yells. What? He yells then?
His main conflict is that he can't save the world. Noble, self-effacing, just too good to be true. That's his character flaw: He's too good. I hate him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2015
No me gustó. Toda la historia está empañada por el dolor de Ellie y no puedo ver el romance en ello, porque ella sufre de verdad y con toda la razón, y no puedo dejar de sentir pena y lástima, y quiero abrazarla, y decirle que ya está bien, pero como novela romántica esto no va a funcionar. Porque aunque Caleb es bueno y magnífico padre, el romance está de más, lamentablemente.
November 1, 2010
A really lovely story! I read the sequel first, and had to go back and read Ellie and Caleb's story. I love them both!
June 15, 2019
This is one of the best books I've read all year; I stayed up until 5:30 am to finish the story. The plot is simple enough but the characters and their emotions are very complex.
Ellie's mother is a whore living in appalling conditions. Ellie's baby sister dies of neglect and malnutrition. Ellie feeds her brothers and herself however she can -- even by stealing food from local gardens. Then, Ellie's mother sells Ellie and the real horror begins.
Years later, Ellie has become a Harvey Girl (for an explanation of what they were, go to my review for THE LAWMAN'S BRIDE (see below). As our story opens, Ellie falls and breaks her arm. She's taken to the new doctor in town and he sets her arm.
Dr. Caleb Chaney is a new widower with a three-month-old baby; his wife died in childbirth and he was unable to save her. He is having a difficulty getting started in town because of his wife's death (if he can't save his own wife, just how good can he be) and his lack of patients (most folks take their chances with the seldom-sober old doctor).
When Dr. Chaney finds that Ellie cannot work with a broken arm, he hires her to care for his baby son until she can return to work at the Arcade (Harvey House). Because of Ellie's awful life, she is afraid of people (particularly men) and uncomfortable talking with those she does not know. However, she has two brothers in foster care that she needs to rescue and she needs the work; thus, she agrees to work for the doctor.
After several weeks of peace in his home, Caleb starts to worry about what he will do when Ellie goes back to work. He asks her to marry him; they agree to a marriage of convenience. As part of the agreement, Caleb and Ellie go to collect her brothers. Caleb starts to understand that these three have lived in horror all of their lives.
This is one of those stories that will stay with you long after the last page.
Harvey Girls
1. The Doctor's Wife (1999)
2. The Tenderfoot Bride (2003)
3. The Lawman's Bride (2007)
Ellie's mother is a whore living in appalling conditions. Ellie's baby sister dies of neglect and malnutrition. Ellie feeds her brothers and herself however she can -- even by stealing food from local gardens. Then, Ellie's mother sells Ellie and the real horror begins.
Years later, Ellie has become a Harvey Girl (for an explanation of what they were, go to my review for THE LAWMAN'S BRIDE (see below). As our story opens, Ellie falls and breaks her arm. She's taken to the new doctor in town and he sets her arm.
Dr. Caleb Chaney is a new widower with a three-month-old baby; his wife died in childbirth and he was unable to save her. He is having a difficulty getting started in town because of his wife's death (if he can't save his own wife, just how good can he be) and his lack of patients (most folks take their chances with the seldom-sober old doctor).
When Dr. Chaney finds that Ellie cannot work with a broken arm, he hires her to care for his baby son until she can return to work at the Arcade (Harvey House). Because of Ellie's awful life, she is afraid of people (particularly men) and uncomfortable talking with those she does not know. However, she has two brothers in foster care that she needs to rescue and she needs the work; thus, she agrees to work for the doctor.
After several weeks of peace in his home, Caleb starts to worry about what he will do when Ellie goes back to work. He asks her to marry him; they agree to a marriage of convenience. As part of the agreement, Caleb and Ellie go to collect her brothers. Caleb starts to understand that these three have lived in horror all of their lives.
This is one of those stories that will stay with you long after the last page.
Harvey Girls
1. The Doctor's Wife (1999)
2. The Tenderfoot Bride (2003)
3. The Lawman's Bride (2007)
September 8, 2014
Wonderful and uplifting ! This is one of those books that takes you on an emotional roller-coaster. You start out with knitted brow and then you feel your heart drop with sadness before you reach a smile or two. The Smile comes and goes but the sadness and anger remain.
It rips your heart in two and then threads it back together before ripping it apart again...then sewing it back up...then ripping it. You see where i am going with this?!?!
That being said, it is a great, powerful read full of tragedy, triumph, and love. Ellie is so cautious and strong, though she doesn't know it. You will want to snatch up her brothers and give them a hug....after they have been bathed and fed, of course.
Caleb is a single father that is torn between doing what he loves and family responsibility. This story has a bit of a Cinderella feel to it, which i adore. Take a few hours to fall in love with Ellie, Caleb, and Nate! It is a great summer read!!!
It rips your heart in two and then threads it back together before ripping it apart again...then sewing it back up...then ripping it. You see where i am going with this?!?!
That being said, it is a great, powerful read full of tragedy, triumph, and love. Ellie is so cautious and strong, though she doesn't know it. You will want to snatch up her brothers and give them a hug....after they have been bathed and fed, of course.
Caleb is a single father that is torn between doing what he loves and family responsibility. This story has a bit of a Cinderella feel to it, which i adore. Take a few hours to fall in love with Ellie, Caleb, and Nate! It is a great summer read!!!
July 23, 2016
3.5/5 4 stars; B+
I don't usually like stories that have lies and misunderstandings but this author handles it so well that it wasn't an issue. Another lovely romance by one of my favorite authors.
I don't usually like stories that have lies and misunderstandings but this author handles it so well that it wasn't an issue. Another lovely romance by one of my favorite authors.
January 4, 2019
Here I am, thinking I'm doing something fresh and different with my characterization of Charlie Thomas, and it turns out that the prototype for his character was laid down 20 years ago in this sweet, charming romance.
Ellie Parrish has a lot of reasons to keep her past to herself. She's fighting to live - for herself, and for her younger brothers, who were separated from her a year before the book opens. She wants nothing more than to rescue them from their horrible situation as indentured servants and provide a warm, loving, secure home for them.
Her luck changes one afternoon when she returns to Newton after visiting them, when she is confronted by a lecherous man at the train station and falls from the platform, breaking her arm. She is taken to the office of the new, young doctor in town - Caleb Chaney, son and scion of a nearby ranching family. He, too, is trying to forge his own way in life, by practicing the healing arts in his hometown. Few people trust him, though, preferring to visit the drunken old doc across town.
Caleb sets Ellie's arm, and when he learns of her distress about losing her job as a waitress, he hires her as a nursemaid for his infant son. They take to each other right away, and as time goes by, Caleb begins to wonder if marriage wouldn't be the best solution for both of them: he would have a mother for his beloved baby boy, and she would have the security of his home and his name.
She makes two requests before accepting his proposal: (1) that they take her brothers away from their horrid situation, and (2) that theirs is a marriage in name only. She refuses to contemplate the idea of having children of her own, though she doesn't share the reasons why. Caleb is accepting enough to agree to her word, and when they bring her brothers back, he begins to understand that their family life has been hardscrabble, at best.
Her brothers slowly but surely adjust to this life of comparative luxury. Ben, the eldest, has been hardened by his experiences, but Flynn, the youngest, is exuberant at the idea of a fresh start. All is going fairly swimmingly until an outbreak of scarlet fever in a neighboring family. Caleb has to stand up for himself and modern medicine in a big way to prevent the outbreak from spreading, and from killing or crippling anyone. He manages to get the old sawbones on his side, but not before almost everyone he comes into contact with - including his infant son, young Flynn, and Ellie herself - succumb to the illness.
His actions in preventing an outbreak are enough for the town at large to accept him and his new ways of medicine, but the further his star rises, the harder it becomes for Ellie to keep her secrets at bay. Then a dark force from her past comes back and pushes her to the brink, and she has to face her fears or risk losing everything she's worked so hard for - her brothers' security, the love of a good, honorable, decent man and his extended family.
This book is very sweet, but it certainly explores the darker aspects of life in the Midwest in the 1880s. Ellie has a lot of growing and learning to do, some of which she finds very difficult. Caleb is absolutely wonderful - kind, gentle, patient, empathetic. He doesn't push her or judge her, but supports her as she makes her way through the tangle of her past. She holds onto her guilt for longer than I personally liked (the man has shown you time and time again that he is a genuinely decent person, even in a time of crisis, so how about trusting just a little bit??), but the scenes where they discuss her past and their future are heartfelt and wonderful. He is completely swoon-worthy, IMO.
There is no unnecessary drama or petty, catty characterization. The people of Newton are good and decent, which makes the villain's behavior stand out like a sore thumb. This is a very low-angst story, but character-driven and paced beautifully. I found it hard to put down. Sweet without being saccharine, heartfelt without being cheesy - just a nice, quiet love story between two characters who need love more than they are willing to admit.
Benjamin is the hero of another of Ms. St. John's books (The Preacher's Daughter), which I will now add to my list of to-reads. I am certainly curious to see what kind of person he grows up to be!
Ellie Parrish has a lot of reasons to keep her past to herself. She's fighting to live - for herself, and for her younger brothers, who were separated from her a year before the book opens. She wants nothing more than to rescue them from their horrible situation as indentured servants and provide a warm, loving, secure home for them.
Her luck changes one afternoon when she returns to Newton after visiting them, when she is confronted by a lecherous man at the train station and falls from the platform, breaking her arm. She is taken to the office of the new, young doctor in town - Caleb Chaney, son and scion of a nearby ranching family. He, too, is trying to forge his own way in life, by practicing the healing arts in his hometown. Few people trust him, though, preferring to visit the drunken old doc across town.
Caleb sets Ellie's arm, and when he learns of her distress about losing her job as a waitress, he hires her as a nursemaid for his infant son. They take to each other right away, and as time goes by, Caleb begins to wonder if marriage wouldn't be the best solution for both of them: he would have a mother for his beloved baby boy, and she would have the security of his home and his name.
She makes two requests before accepting his proposal: (1) that they take her brothers away from their horrid situation, and (2) that theirs is a marriage in name only. She refuses to contemplate the idea of having children of her own, though she doesn't share the reasons why. Caleb is accepting enough to agree to her word, and when they bring her brothers back, he begins to understand that their family life has been hardscrabble, at best.
Her brothers slowly but surely adjust to this life of comparative luxury. Ben, the eldest, has been hardened by his experiences, but Flynn, the youngest, is exuberant at the idea of a fresh start. All is going fairly swimmingly until an outbreak of scarlet fever in a neighboring family. Caleb has to stand up for himself and modern medicine in a big way to prevent the outbreak from spreading, and from killing or crippling anyone. He manages to get the old sawbones on his side, but not before almost everyone he comes into contact with - including his infant son, young Flynn, and Ellie herself - succumb to the illness.
His actions in preventing an outbreak are enough for the town at large to accept him and his new ways of medicine, but the further his star rises, the harder it becomes for Ellie to keep her secrets at bay. Then a dark force from her past comes back and pushes her to the brink, and she has to face her fears or risk losing everything she's worked so hard for - her brothers' security, the love of a good, honorable, decent man and his extended family.
This book is very sweet, but it certainly explores the darker aspects of life in the Midwest in the 1880s. Ellie has a lot of growing and learning to do, some of which she finds very difficult. Caleb is absolutely wonderful - kind, gentle, patient, empathetic. He doesn't push her or judge her, but supports her as she makes her way through the tangle of her past. She holds onto her guilt for longer than I personally liked (the man has shown you time and time again that he is a genuinely decent person, even in a time of crisis, so how about trusting just a little bit??), but the scenes where they discuss her past and their future are heartfelt and wonderful. He is completely swoon-worthy, IMO.
There is no unnecessary drama or petty, catty characterization. The people of Newton are good and decent, which makes the villain's behavior stand out like a sore thumb. This is a very low-angst story, but character-driven and paced beautifully. I found it hard to put down. Sweet without being saccharine, heartfelt without being cheesy - just a nice, quiet love story between two characters who need love more than they are willing to admit.
Benjamin is the hero of another of Ms. St. John's books (The Preacher's Daughter), which I will now add to my list of to-reads. I am certainly curious to see what kind of person he grows up to be!
January 10, 2010
This was part of the SuperLibrarian's bloggers bundle of e-books available from eHarlequin.com.
The hero is the "young whippersnapper" doctor, recently widowed with a young baby. The heroine is a young woman trying desperately for a fresh start in a new town in post-Civil War Kansas as a "Harvey Girl" working at one of the railroad restaurants--she breaks her arm, the doctor sets it and they realize that they can help each other out, since he needs someone to watch his infant son, and she can't work at the restaurant with a broken arm. She has a terrible past, filled with awful things, but they are able to help each other. Excellent story.
The hero is the "young whippersnapper" doctor, recently widowed with a young baby. The heroine is a young woman trying desperately for a fresh start in a new town in post-Civil War Kansas as a "Harvey Girl" working at one of the railroad restaurants--she breaks her arm, the doctor sets it and they realize that they can help each other out, since he needs someone to watch his infant son, and she can't work at the restaurant with a broken arm. She has a terrible past, filled with awful things, but they are able to help each other. Excellent story.
September 17, 2010
– Who doesn’t love a Cinderella story? Ellie is a down-on-her-luck heroine in need of a hero and she finds a white knight in Caleb. This is one of the story’s that makes you smile with the sheer romanticism of the plot. She offers to give him a hand when he is in need and in return she receives a man who will give her and her siblings a home. The Doctor’s Wife is one of those books that with leave you sighing with delight. ~ Ana, www.ireadromance.com
September 6, 2021
Well written dialogue, evocative setting, depth of emotion, with an absolutely tragic backstory to ruin an afternoon, but ultimately falls on some fundamental flaws in plot conception and implausible characterisation. Hero doctor Caleb was so nice and forward-thinking he was out of place in a historical. But there was nearly no other option for his characterisation if the book was to lead to a HEA. I don’t regret having read it, I liked it well enough, but there’s only so much discomfort I can take from fiction.
Spoilers ahead:
There were plenty of plot or character imperfections in this book. Caleb’s deceased ex Leila and Winston Parker were extremely flat characters. Caleb seemed to have a nearly lack of thought for them while having limitless fount of compassion for every person he encounters. Even if we chalk it up to him being a doctor and used to death, Caleb’s lack of contemplation for his deceased wife that he claims to have loved tells me he’s concerned and well-intentioned, but not exactly a romantic hero - he appears to give but it is almost impersonal, leading me to think his healing of Ellie and the boys is him bringing his professional bedside manner into his personal life. Perhaps an entirely accurate presentation of men in the medical profession.
I was also not convinced by the declarations of love. I sensed admiration, respect, trust, but not attraction. Caleb might finally know Ellie’s past and understand her reasons for her behaviour, but I don’t think Ellie really understands Caleb. As a reader, I don’t find myself understanding why he is a saint but also able to keep his hands off her, able to keep a lid on human emotions like jealousy, disappointment, anger against Ellie. His kindness and tolerance reads more like passiveness and weakness to me. Like he wasn’t really invested and he was simply fine just sitting back and waiting for healing to happen, all noble and tip-toeing about. I felt that Ben was more of a romantic hero than Caleb.
Then there was the six degrees of separation. I can’t imagine any man being fine with his father in-law (and grandfather to his son) having been the person who violated the present wife. Winston Parker simply didn’t need to be related (other than to add an unnecessary touch of intimate trauma when it’s already at peak trauma).
Spoilers ahead:
There were plenty of plot or character imperfections in this book. Caleb’s deceased ex Leila and Winston Parker were extremely flat characters. Caleb seemed to have a nearly lack of thought for them while having limitless fount of compassion for every person he encounters. Even if we chalk it up to him being a doctor and used to death, Caleb’s lack of contemplation for his deceased wife that he claims to have loved tells me he’s concerned and well-intentioned, but not exactly a romantic hero - he appears to give but it is almost impersonal, leading me to think his healing of Ellie and the boys is him bringing his professional bedside manner into his personal life. Perhaps an entirely accurate presentation of men in the medical profession.
I was also not convinced by the declarations of love. I sensed admiration, respect, trust, but not attraction. Caleb might finally know Ellie’s past and understand her reasons for her behaviour, but I don’t think Ellie really understands Caleb. As a reader, I don’t find myself understanding why he is a saint but also able to keep his hands off her, able to keep a lid on human emotions like jealousy, disappointment, anger against Ellie. His kindness and tolerance reads more like passiveness and weakness to me. Like he wasn’t really invested and he was simply fine just sitting back and waiting for healing to happen, all noble and tip-toeing about. I felt that Ben was more of a romantic hero than Caleb.
Then there was the six degrees of separation. I can’t imagine any man being fine with his father in-law (and grandfather to his son) having been the person who violated the present wife. Winston Parker simply didn’t need to be related (other than to add an unnecessary touch of intimate trauma when it’s already at peak trauma).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2024
Cheryl St. John’s The Doctor's Wife is a historical romance novel that delves into themes of love, resilience, and the quest for personal and familial redemption. The novel centres on Ellie Foster, a resilient young woman who is determined to provide a stable life for her two brothers. She moves to a small town where she meets Doctor Caleb Chaney, a dedicated physician struggling with his own past and present challenges.
Both Ellie and Caleb are on a path of healing—Ellie from the struggles, pain and hurt she had to endure in life, and Caleb from his past failures and emotional scars. Their journey highlights the importance of resilience and the healing power of love and understanding. The small-town setting allows for the exploration of community dynamics and the importance of compassion. Caleb’s role as the town doctor emphasizes the impact one individual can have on a community, and Ellie’s interactions with the townspeople highlight themes of kindness and mutual support. The depiction of medical practices of the era is reasonably accurate, adding a layer of authenticity to Caleb’s character and his interactions with the townspeople.
While the character development is strong, the plot follows a fairly predictable romance novel trajectory although there are a few surprises in the story’s progression. At times, the novel’s pacing can be uneven. Certain subplots and secondary characters could have been more developed, while some parts of the main story felt rushed.
The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John is a well-crafted historical romance that successfully combines emotional depth with a vivid portrayal of 19th-century life. While it adheres to some genre conventions and has occasional pacing issues, the novel’s exploration of resilience and personal healing through love make the novel worth your while.
Both Ellie and Caleb are on a path of healing—Ellie from the struggles, pain and hurt she had to endure in life, and Caleb from his past failures and emotional scars. Their journey highlights the importance of resilience and the healing power of love and understanding. The small-town setting allows for the exploration of community dynamics and the importance of compassion. Caleb’s role as the town doctor emphasizes the impact one individual can have on a community, and Ellie’s interactions with the townspeople highlight themes of kindness and mutual support. The depiction of medical practices of the era is reasonably accurate, adding a layer of authenticity to Caleb’s character and his interactions with the townspeople.
While the character development is strong, the plot follows a fairly predictable romance novel trajectory although there are a few surprises in the story’s progression. At times, the novel’s pacing can be uneven. Certain subplots and secondary characters could have been more developed, while some parts of the main story felt rushed.
The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John is a well-crafted historical romance that successfully combines emotional depth with a vivid portrayal of 19th-century life. While it adheres to some genre conventions and has occasional pacing issues, the novel’s exploration of resilience and personal healing through love make the novel worth your while.
November 2, 2021
Quando peguei esse livro para ler eu não imaginava que a protagonista Ellie Parrish seria um mulher tão sofrida. Sério! A coitada passou na fila de sofrimento umas três vez.
Eu quase abandonei o livro, mas a abençoada curiosidade de leitor falou mais auto, segui em frente, e valeu a pena.
A história foi boa, a autora abordou temas polêmicos com uma narrativa leve e simples, mas que não deixava margem a duvida.
O mocinho, Dr Caleb Chaney, era praticamente um santo e apesar do romance entre eles crescer devagar, foi bonito quando finalmente estavam nos braços um do outro.
Porém a parte que mais gostei foi a do vilão sendo devidamente punido (não posso dizer mais, se não é spoiler) ele teve o que merecia.
Eu quase abandonei o livro, mas a abençoada curiosidade de leitor falou mais auto, segui em frente, e valeu a pena.
A história foi boa, a autora abordou temas polêmicos com uma narrativa leve e simples, mas que não deixava margem a duvida.
O mocinho, Dr Caleb Chaney, era praticamente um santo e apesar do romance entre eles crescer devagar, foi bonito quando finalmente estavam nos braços um do outro.
Porém a parte que mais gostei foi a do vilão sendo devidamente punido (não posso dizer mais, se não é spoiler) ele teve o que merecia.
September 21, 2021
Oh my this is some tragic tragic backstory for our heroine. I loved that she got her HEA, and she deserved that hot, hot doctor for sure. It didn't quite reach 5 stars for me, maybe I just need a slightly less damaged h in my escapism, but it was a solid, lovely book.
June 10, 2024
Once again, St John has written an engaging story that I fell in love with! A fast paced read, and while her men (the heroes, at least!) may be a bit too perfect, that’s the point of historical romances - to have a lead that you root for and believe will never hurt the heroine!
September 1, 2024
The H was a saint.
h was decent too, and i really feel for her all her hardships but one thing irritated me is her non willingness to tell the H the truth, i can understand she was scared but still he seemed to be understanding and she had come to trust and love him.
h was decent too, and i really feel for her all her hardships but one thing irritated me is her non willingness to tell the H the truth, i can understand she was scared but still he seemed to be understanding and she had come to trust and love him.
June 11, 2021
Very sweet read
November 15, 2022
Love the story!
May 3, 2024
Good drama
October 27, 2025
3.5/5
Mostly solid. Felt like the resolution occurred too quickly. But Ellie and her love for her brothers, and Ben’s love fur his sister, was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Mostly solid. Felt like the resolution occurred too quickly. But Ellie and her love for her brothers, and Ben’s love fur his sister, was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.
September 8, 2015
I liked the over all book. There were parts through out, mainly her one repeating flashback, that I didn't like however they helped shaped the story. I would recommend this book to mature audiences for the description of things like topics revolving sex, rape and nudity. I also didn't like how the book ended, I wish it had an epilogue and it was maybe like a year later following up on the last part of the book. Will Ellie survive the past memories, feeling love, a new job, marriage, scarlet fever, the man who was wrong, and facing the child she never named for the first time? How will she keep her secrets from Caleb?
The Doctor's Wife is about Ellie Foster, a girl of around twenty, by the undercover name of Elianna "Ellie" Parrish, who's childhood was taken from her. She has two younger brothers Benjamin "Ben" age fifteen and nine to care for. She has been a mother figure to them since they were born. She gets back to town after visiting her brother's who are currently in foster care and ends up breaking her arm. She ends up in the office of Dr. Caleb Chaney who's a widow with three month old son, Nate. After being left go from work until she could use her arm once again she becomes Nate Chaney's nanny since he only takes up one arm. Eventually Caleb decides to marry her so she won't leave him. She agrees after he promises that they will retrieve her brothers so they can live with them. How long will she last? When her past comes to the present she must make the decision to run or stay.
The Doctor's Wife is about Ellie Foster, a girl of around twenty, by the undercover name of Elianna "Ellie" Parrish, who's childhood was taken from her. She has two younger brothers Benjamin "Ben" age fifteen and nine to care for. She has been a mother figure to them since they were born. She gets back to town after visiting her brother's who are currently in foster care and ends up breaking her arm. She ends up in the office of Dr. Caleb Chaney who's a widow with three month old son, Nate. After being left go from work until she could use her arm once again she becomes Nate Chaney's nanny since he only takes up one arm. Eventually Caleb decides to marry her so she won't leave him. She agrees after he promises that they will retrieve her brothers so they can live with them. How long will she last? When her past comes to the present she must make the decision to run or stay.
September 18, 2013
This is a short one, it is sweet though the issue it addressed is not by any means light. I actually put down the book right after the prologue when I figured out what that means (one sort of can figure out the whole plot right afterwards).
This being one of my fav author's books though, picked it up again and persevere I say.
I like both the h and H but like another fellow reader had said, they are way way sweet. There really isn't much in their way except that one issue. Once that is out of the way there isn't much to say but to tie up all loose ends and end the book.
I did wonder and gritted my teeth some when the bad penny turned up, and am gratified that this time the situation ended totally differently.
A lot of the focus is on how the h felt before and after the H came along and how she slowly started to heal. All in all, I like it but it is not really too memorable.
This being one of my fav author's books though, picked it up again and persevere I say.
I like both the h and H but like another fellow reader had said, they are way way sweet. There really isn't much in their way except that one issue. Once that is out of the way there isn't much to say but to tie up all loose ends and end the book.
I did wonder and gritted my teeth some when the bad penny turned up, and am gratified that this time the situation ended totally differently.
A lot of the focus is on how the h felt before and after the H came along and how she slowly started to heal. All in all, I like it but it is not really too memorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2013
A nice sweet story. I like this author's books. This books seemed well grounded in its time period. The young woman was realistic. Bad things had happened to her which were realistic for the time period. I enjoyed how nice the hero was. I liked the brothers. I think the older of the two brothers might have a story later in the series. It was well written and moved along at a reasonable pace. Not a lot of sex just two tasteful scenes.
March 19, 2013
I found this author through a friend's Goodreads review of another book. I looked St. John up and discovered many, many books and 5 star reviews. This is the first one I've read, and it was a great 4.5 star read. The characters were well drawn and wonderful. Their challenges were touching and believable. I know this is one I'll read again one day.
May 4, 2009
I don't usually read historical romances. This one was an okay read. Set in Kansas in the 19th century, it is the story of a widowed doctor and an outcast abused young woman. A touching story of the uniting of the families of Caleb and Ellie.
April 20, 2015
Cheryl St John writes about people you would like to know, decent human beings with decency and some depth. This is one of her stronger novels. Her writing is predictable and not quite cookie cutter so there are surprises in most of her stories.
July 2, 2010
This was a really good story. I would have given it a 5 if there hadn't been some scenes I had to skip. Not letting Katie read this one.
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